A flying object, for example an aeroplane or a helicopter, comprises a multiplicity of components or structural parts which are in part networked together. These aircraft components can be for example actuators, sensors, data lines or power lines, data communication units and data processing units, for example computers or servers. These structural components of the aircraft are in part replaceable and are referred to as LRU components (line replaceable units). Such LRU units are connected to data processing units or computing units via data lines or busses. A flying object, for example a passenger aircraft, can have a multiplicity of different aircraft systems. Examples of such flight systems are the undercarriage, the air-conditioning system or a pressure regulating system. Each flight system can have one or more control computers. Such control computers are also referred to as CPIOM units (Central Processing Input Output Module). For safety reasons, a plurality of control computers are provided in many aircraft systems in order that the aircraft system has a certain redundancy with respect to failures. Programs for carrying out the control procedures are executed on the control computers of the different aircraft systems.
The different components of the different aircraft systems can have faults during flight operation. In this case, a fault is a deviation from a normal function of the respective aircraft system component. A fault occurs if the behaviour of a function deviates from a predefined behaviour. This is usually identified by comparing signal measurement results with threshold values or by a fault identification logic. The different aircraft system components can be monitored by monitoring programs or by electronic logic circuits.
If a fault event occurs during flight operation, firstly measures for restoring the failed or faulty function are implemented in order to ensure the safety of the flying object or aircraft, for example by the activation of redundant components. Furthermore, the pilot of the aircraft is warned of any malfunction, in particular upon the failure of a function, by means of a flight warning system of the aircraft, primarily upon failure of critical functions, such that the pilot can implement the necessary measures for ensuring the safety of the aircraft. In conventional systems, the occurrence of a fault event furthermore leads to the generation of fault messages that are transmitted via an on-board maintenance system of the aircraft in order to prepare repair measures for faulty components or faulty equipment.
This conventional procedure has some disadvantages, however. The number of predefined fault messages is limited and incomplete. By contrast, the number of possible fault events or fault event combinations for all potential fault causes within an aircraft can be very high. Owing to the high number of possible fault events, the number of possible fault event combinations rises exponentially, and therefore so does the number of necessary fault messages. Since the predefined fault messages and their link with the fault events are predefined or written by a developer, a considerable programming and configuration complexity arises. Furthermore, this conventional procedure offers no flexibility whatsoever during the operational time or flight operation.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fault diagnosis device and a method for optimizing maintenance measures in a system which allows faults that occur during operation to be evaluated flexibly in order to prepare and initiate maintenance measures with little outlay.